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Let Sleeping Teenagers Lie

As every parent of teenagers will tell you, the best time to have kids of that age around is in the evening. That’s when they are the most energetic, socially engaged, talkative and in good spirits. Getting them into bed at a reasonable time can be a challenge. Most teens don’t feel tired until past midnight. In the morning – well, that’s another story. Irritable, dead tired and unhappy, they head off to school for a bad start and struggle for hours to stay awake in class.

What many parents and teachers don’t know is that young adolescents are undergoing biological changes that deeply affect their circadian rhythm. To be sure, they still need lots of sleep during puberty and throughout adolescence, especially in times of rapid growth spurts. But their inner clock undergoes significant shifts that make their sleep needs quite different from any other age group.

In the past, parents assumed that their youngsters were sleepy in the morning because they stayed up too late the night before. And so did the experts. “We thought it was entirely psychosocial, “says Dr. Mary Carskadon, professor of chronobiology at the Department for Psychology and Human Behavior at Brown University School of Medicine. “We’ve learned in the past couple of years that there’s a biological process involved as well.”

Her research has shown that the early morning is not a time when most teenagers can be expected to participate effectively in class. In a clinical study, conducted by her and her colleagues, she found that half of 40 participating high school students who began school at 7:20 a.m. were “pathologically sleepy.” “These kids may be up and at school, but I’m convinced their brains are back on the pillow at home.”

Dr. Carskadon goes as far as calling the scheduling of early classes in schools “abusive.” “As a result, a good night’s sleep is increasingly missing from their frantic lives,” she says.

On weekends, teenagers tend to fall back into their “natural rhythm” of staying up late and sleeping in. But by Monday, their sleep pattern must adopt again to school hours. Many teens can’t shake the jet lag-like effect of these changes fast enough and can become seriously sleep-deprived.

According to Dr. Carskadon, trying to make up for lost sleep on weekends can possibly do more harm than good. She says, “this solution can backfire for teenagers because it further distorts their biological clocks and can make it even harder for them to get up on time during the school week.”

The consequences of chronic sleep deprivation for adolescents are not limited to constantly feeling tired and being unable to digest information in the classroom. Emotional stress and depression may also result, just as they do among adults. The National Sleep Foundation warns that getting insufficient sleep over long periods of time can be dangerous for teenagers in a number of ways, including increased risk of traffic accidents, risk of psychiatric conditions and substance abuse, and also risk of weight gain and obesity. The latter effects of long-term sleep deprivation have been shown in a number of clinical studies, including one prominent survey by Harvard researchers who found that at least two factors play a role in weight gain due to lack of sleep: Snacking at night and possibly changes in hormones responsible for regulating appetite.

Complying with sleep needs is just as vital to the health and well-being of teenagers as it is for younger children. Teenagers may actually need more sleep than they required in previous years. But school, afternoon activities, jobs and social pressures all conspire against getting a proper amount of rest. Parents, teachers and foremost teenagers themselves often forget to put sleep ahead of other priorities.

Most experts agree that teenagers should get at least 9 to 9 ½ hours of nightly sleep, compared to 7 to 8 hours recommended for adults. That means that adolescents should be in bed no later than by 9 p.m., at least on weeknights. Of course, that does neither match with their circadian rhythm nor their social activities.

Some have suggested that classes could start later in the morning, and a number of schools have begun experimenting with later schedules. Others say that most kids are overburdened with homework, jobs and after-school activities, which must be reduced to allow for enough rest time.

Fortunately, there are measures every family can take to promote better sleep hygiene at home. Here are some recommendations that are easy to implement:

• Maintain consistency of sleep and wake times, including on weekends.
• Create a sleep-conducive bedtime routine and sleep environment, like taking hot baths, dimming the lights, reading or listening to soothing music.
• Make sure that all mattresses and pillows are comfortable.
• Set an alarm clock, so you don’t have to worry about oversleeping.
• Don’t eat or snack later than 3 hours before bed. Avoid sugary sodas, caffeine, alcohol and other stimulating drinks in the evening.
• Don’t watch TV, play video games or work on the computer in the bedroom and allow no homework in bed. Keep sleeping spaces uncluttered.
• Do not exercise later than 2 hours before sleep.
• Make sleep a priority, so your bedtime does not get pushed back every time something else comes up.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun™,” which is available on her blog http://www.timigustafson.com and at amazon.com. Her latest book, “Kids Love Healthy Foods™” is now available in e-book format, also at www.amazon.com﻿

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.